Lacson clarified, however, that the requirement is applicable only to travelers coming from places under Alert Level 3 in terms of Covid-19 transmission, whether they are vaccinated or not.
This will take effect on January 9, he said, adding that the RT-PCR test should have been taken not later than 72 hours prior to the issuance of the Safe, Swift and Smart Passage (S-Pass).
Lacson noted that in effect, the number of flights coming to the province may be reduced, although the Provincial Government will not impose a maximum number of passengers for every flight.
The governor stressed that even individuals who are already fully vaccinated against Covid-19 could still get infected, especially with the Omicron variant, which is said to be highly transmissible.
Areas under Alert Level 3 included the National Capital Region (NCR) considering the surge of the number of Covid-19 cases there after the holiday season.
Negros Occidental, including the highly urbanized Bacolod City, is still under Alert Level 2.
